


A Sudden Rush Of Magic

by chimyra



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Now You See Me (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Prestige (2006), Thor (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-16 15:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8106784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chimyra/pseuds/chimyra
Summary: "The closer you look, the less you see."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my Brand New Beta ChrissiHR. If you have not yet had the delight of reading her works I would suggest you head on over to "The Girl with the Dagger Tattoo". After you read this of course.... tut tut, you didn't think you could get away that easily did you? But in all seriousness it's a great crack filled Darcyland work, you won't regret it!

Life is the moments between decisions. The time spent dealing with consequences before the next fork in the road. A fact that Darcy Lewis knew better than most. 

For instance, had Darcy taken up the family business, she never would have been put on the path to meet Jane. Another decision had come after New Mexico. She could have cut and run, and really who would have blamed her? Darcy knew how to disappear,well, figuratively speaking of course. What could she say? She had learned a rather uncommon skill set from her mother alongside the art passed down by her grandfather. And that’s not to mention the little “gift” her father had left her with. 

It was his “gift” that had led her to choose Political Science over Engineering in the first place. So really it was his own damn fault she had wound up Avengers adjacent. A fact he lamented anytime she actually got to see him. 

In fact, it could be further postulated that the situation Darcy now found herself in was his fault. Yes, Darcy could definitely get behind blaming her dad for the fact that she had caught someone who looked a remarkable amount like Dr. Banner with his hand reaching into her purse. 

“Okay. You have four seconds to start explaining why you were trying to slip a…” Grabbing the card from the man’s hand she still had a grip on, she flipped it back and forth few times; the card flowing through her fingers with practiced ease and almost hypnotic quality. “... a tarot card with a meeting spot on it into my bag. Chop, chop, Dr. Banner look-a-like. I don’t have a lot of time before I’m running late and a bunch of super powered type people start getting antsy. One too many kidnapping attempts, ya know?”

Letting go of the man’s wrist, Darcy took a step back, keeping her stance loose in case of an attack, the tarot card seemingly limp between her fingers. Her father taught her better than to leave her guard down, and Nat would have her head if she let someone get the drop on her. Again. 

Taking the time afforded to her while the man weighed his options, Darcy studied him, gleaning what information she could. Definitely not Bruce, the way he held himself was testament to that. There was a confidence there; almost arrogance, running under the surface, something that Bruce himself lacked. Maybe a relative? Or a mutant shapeshifter? The question was: Why Dr. Banner? Surely anyone looking to kidnap her would realize that she was close to all the Avengers and would not use one of them. Unless, of course, they were a complete and utter idiot. 

Besides, her father’s “gift” made fooling her with appearances damn near impossible anyway. 

Darcy was just getting to the point of impatience when the man before her finally spoke 

“My name is Dylan Rhodes. And I need your help.”


	2. A Uniquely Portable Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much love and thanks to my awesome beta ChrissiHr who is willing to look past all my slips into passive voice (really a horrific amount I'm telling you). Any mangling of the written word is strictly my doing since I may or may not (read: totally did) have rewrote a large chunk after she looked this chapter over. 
> 
> Also I would like to note that the only reference to the movie The Prestige will be in this chapter.   
> I would also like to further note to avoid confusion is that an ingénieur is the job title for the person who helps a magician build and develop their illusions. Not sure if this is the case IRL but according to The Prestige it is so I decided to use it instead of the generic engineer. 
> 
> Don't forget to leave feedback in the form of comments, as a fanfic writer comments are my bread and peanut butter. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!!

Darcy was raised to have a healthy dose of scepticism, it came with the territory when your family’s legacy included the early nineteenth century ingénieur John Cutter. The man behind many of the illusions of the famed magician Robert Angier, his secrets had been passed down for generations. From son to son to son to daughter to Darcy. For as long as she could remember, her Grandfather, John Cutter Ⅲ, would perform something for her and ask her to deconstruct the illusion. Once she was old enough, he would take her to his workshop and help her through building the most basic illusions. As time had progressed, Darcy moved on to designing and building her own. 

She loved every minute of it. 

The only time she felt happier was when she was with her mother practicing card tricks and sleight of hand. It was from her that Darcy learned how to pick a lock, how to escape from just about anything, how everything her Grandfather taught her came together on stage to form something….. well, magical. 

Everything that her little family taught her was aimed at Darcy taking over the family business when her grandfather retired. Something Darcy looked forward to with delight. No, Darcy had never felt constrained by her family’s plans for her future. 

It was when puberty hit that her faith in the future wavered. 

The very tools of her trade turned against her it seemed. And it was all her father’s fault. Her entire life uprooted as she was sent to a boarding school in upstate New York for teenagers in her same predicament. A school for freaks with no control. And at the end of it all, when she finally felt even keeled again and less a freak, her Grandfather had passed away. She knew it was irrational, but she felt as if she had only been there, instead of spending four years away at a school she hated, it never would have happened. 

So Darcy blamed her father. It was his genetics that caused her to be a freak and sent away. She stopped taking his phone calls, sending him straight to voicemail. His visits during her childhood, while erratic had been often, now she no longer allowed him to visit her, turning him away at the door or more often just not answering it in the first place. 

She blamed her mother as well. After all, she was the one who had sent her away in the first place. Her mother was the one who ignored her Grandfather’s arguments that they could help her through the turbulence. So after the funeral she started ignoring her mother as well. The last she had seen her was when she handed over the keys to her Grandfather’s workshop before heading off to Culver as a student of Political Science instead of Engineering like her Grandfather had wanted. 

Most of all, she blamed herself. She never touched anything related to magic again. The playing cards she could live without. It was locking up the workshop that hurt the most. 

 

Three years later and she was six science credits away from a degree she didn’t want, in a field she detested. The six month internship with Doctor Foster was her penance for even thinking about taking a few Engineering courses. 

New Mexico was boring. While Darcy would willingly admit watching the stars that first night in Puento Antigo was soul-healing, several nights of nothing but stargazing soon caused even the aesthetics of the sky to lose it’s appeal. 

Many times during her first month there the days would just blur together. She was ashamed to admit it but even three years after her Grandfather’s passing she would still fall prey to occasional bouts of depression. Fortunately for Darcy, Jane happened. 

In her own way, the tiny astrophysicist was downright terrifying. Darcy’s listlessness had finally penetrated what Jane liked to call the Theoretical Barrier, the state of being where nothing existed but the seductive mistress named Science. 

One night, under the guise of taking a few more readings, Jane had driven herself and her new intern out to the desert, a few bottles of tequila packed away with the delicate equipment. Jane’s brand of interrogation, while in no way subtle, still managed to remain effective. 

Really effective.

That night they talked about everything. From Darcy’s “gift” to Jane’s douchebag ex-boyfriend. From magic to Jane’s theorem on Einstein-Rosen bridges and the ridicule that came with it. But mostly, they talked about Darcy’s Grandfather. Well, Darcy talked and Jane listened. It was the first time since the funeral Darcy had let herself cry for him. 

From then on Darcy would always swear by the friendship forming powers of tequila. It even worked on jackbooted, Ipod thieving thugs that carried medieval weaponry in the form of a bow and arrows. Not that friendship made any sort of difference when it came to returning said stolen Ipod. 

That small feat required an alien invasion/near death experience in the form of the Destroyer. Almost dying really will make a person rethink their life choices. At least the ones involving calling estranged fathers. 

Darcy was still a long way from forgiving him, but called anyway. Mostly because Jane bullied her into it. Darcy really did admire Agent Ipod thief and Agent Legolas’s ability to not quake in fear of the compacted fury that was Jane Foster. 

Her father, at least, had the good sense to acknowledge Jane’s capabilities when he showed up. He also had the good sense to come bearing gifts. Namely Darcy’s Ipod. Of course it did come with the stipulation that she take up practicing with her mother again when she could. No asking for forgiveness for himself, he only cared that Darcy and her mother repaired their relationship. A fact that earned him points in Jane’s book if not Darcy’s.  
Her first visit back home, they started with card tricks; one of the first things to betray her during puberty. It was cathartic to say the least.

Between visits to her mom, Darcy continued to follow Jane. As much as she missed her Grandfather’ and his workshop, she knew she was in no way ready to face the memories that lied within. Besides, Janie needed her way to much. Someone had to make sure the tiny astrophysicist kept somewhat human habits. Those pesky little things like eating and sleeping. Coffee and willpower alone may have kept the woman alive until she met Darcy, a point Jane would argue viciously with until Darcy shoved a Pop Tart into her mouth; but Darcy was determined that the woman who had become her friend survived until the next alien invasion. 

Darcy had a feeling that would happen sooner rather than later if Jane’s enthusiasm for Science was not tempered. A task she was in no way capable of achieving. Darcy was well aware of her own limits, and keeping Jane fed and well rested just about overstretched them. The woman was a menace, but she was Darcy’s menace.

When the Battle of New York happened Darcy felt justified at telling Jane she told her so. Maybe Jane hadn’t been involved in this invasion, but it had happened. The aftermath of the battle brought a job offer from Tony Stark. With Thor staying earthside, Jane decided to take Stark up on his offer of lab space. The man had even thrown in an offer of housing. Darcy, never one to live where she worked refused Stark’s offer. The look on his face had almost made her change her mind. Almost. The daily commute was killer though.


	3. Towers of Fire and Glory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again much love to my very skilled beta ChrissiHR!!! She deserves all the cookies. All of them! So how about hopping over to her fic "The Girl with the Dagger Tattoo" and showing her some love? 
> 
> And speaking of love, while you all are at it (if you have a tumblr that is) take a look at http://thebabewiththepwr.tumblr.com/post/148472694732/hell-hath-no-fury they are a new fic writer for the Avenger's fandom. Hopefully they can be convinced to make the jump to here! Really who doesn't love new fic? So go show them what makes the Avenger's fandom great to be a part of! 
> 
> And as always thank you for reading!

Dylan Rhodes watched as his target moved through the streets of New York with an ease born of months of practice. If he didn’t know better, he would say fate had planned for this all along. It was only fitting that the granddaughter of John Cutter Ⅲ take on the role planned for her. 

 

Ingénieur for the as yet unformed Four Horsemen. 

 

Like any good magician, Dylan knew the importance of timing. Timing for a magician is everything. Second only to planning. To say that The Eye’s timely insinuation into his plans for Thaddeus Bradley and Arthur Tressler was anything but fortuitous would be a vast understatement. He would finally get to see Bradley, the man he blamed for his father’s death, behind bars.As for Tressler, a man so selfish he swindled victims of disaster out of their insurance claims; including Dylan’s mother after her husband’s death, he would lose all the millions of dollars he cared more for than other people’s lives. Finally, years of waiting and half baked plans of revenge coming to fruition. Really, a once in a lifetime opportunity. And so he started planning in earnest, missing only a few key puzzle pieces. Namely, an ingénieur to help build his dreams and plans into reality, and four solo acts he could mold into the tool needed to bring two powerful men to their knees. 

 

His research into possible candidates just about reached the level of frustration when The Eye sent him a file containing five names. Including one Miss Darcy Cutter, now Lewis. Compared to the information available on the four magicians, the information on Miss Lewis was strangely lacking. Little more than a current photo, a brief family history on her mother’s side, and a video of one her last illusions before she vanished from the magical community following the death of her grandfather; Miss Lewis’s file raised more questions than it provided answers. Still, Dylan considered the waste of such potential something akin to a major crime. Apparently, The Eye agreed.   

 

The trick would be to convince her of the same.  

 

\-----

 

She was good, better than he expected from someone who should have several years worth of rust coating her skills. She should not have been able to catch him. Yet, here he was, his wrist tightly held, while Darcy grabbed the tarot card depicting The Tower from his hand.  If he had any doubts about The Eye choosing her, they dissolved as he watched Darcy manipulate the card in her hand with grace and finesse. 

 

He was so entranced by the moving card, he almost didn’t register her continued speech. “Chop, chop, Dr. Banner look-a-like…” Dr. Banner? Super powered type people? Kidnapping attempts? Dylan had no idea what she was talking about. Thinking fast as she let go of his wrist and took a step back, he decided all he needed to do was up his time table a bit. He was nothing if not flexible. He had to be. 

 

“My name is Dylan Rhodes and I need your help.” Gauging Darcy’s almost non reaction to his statement, he continued when he didn’t detect an immediate dismissal. “All I’m asking is for an hour of your time. Please.” 

 

Dylan held his breath as Darcy looked him over silently for a long, agonizing minute, only for her to hold up a finger indicating him to wait as she pulled out her phone and dialed. 

 

“Yeah, Janie, it’s me. No, I’m not being kidnapped. Really? You have to ask that? Would I really be calling from my own phone were this a kidnapping type situation? Oh. Yeah, I remember now. Those three really were idiots about the whole thing, weren’t they? Anyway. We are getting off topic, boss lady. Something has come up and I’m going to be late. Yes, I know. No. No. I will bring you a couple of slices of fruit tart from that deli you like so much. Yes, it is a bribe and, no, I refuse to use that word. It’s ugly and does not deserve to pass these luscious lips. You love me anyway. Two hours, not four. Non negotiable. Take what you can get. Two extra hours of lab time tonight and fruit tart. Final offer. Great! See you when I get in. Don’t die.”

 

Dylan was starting to wonder what he was in for when Darcy ended her call and turned her attention back to him. “I’m yours. For now. But keep in mind if this is a kidnapping attempt, you are in for a world of pain. Gods. That was a horrible cliche. Never mind. Lead on, Macduff.” She said as she gestured for him to get a move on. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dylan prayed he could be convincing enough. 

 

\-----

 

He explained everything. His status as an FBI agent and why he needed to stay one. The target. The idea for the Horsemen and potential candidates. The need for someone on the inside of the Horsemen to keep the magicians on the right track. The Eye. His need for an ingénieur to build and design the stages and major illusions. He detailed for Darcy his ideas on helping the Katrina victims wronged by Arthur Tressler.  He did leave a few details out of course. Like any good magician, it was best to keep something up his sleeve. 

 

When he was done, he leaned back from the cafe’s table, sipping the coffee that had grown cold during his speech. Raising his eyebrow in Darcy’s direction, he simply asked, “Questions?” 

 

She surprised him. He expected something along the lines of “Why me?” or maybe even just a flat out “No.” Instead, she asked, “The Tower. I’m assuming you had a reason to pick that card. If you just chose randomly, I would have expected the High Priestess or the Empress. Maybe even the Star or Strength. Any of the Major Arcana that depicts a woman, really. So why the Tower?”

  
“Huh. Did not see that coming.” Scrubbing his hands over his face, he decided on what exactly to tell her. Finally, he settled for the truth. “It’s a card of change. I guess it’s my way of acknowledging that, should you choose to help… well, it’ll be a risk and a rather large upheaval from your normal routine. Unlike the acts chosen for the spotlight, you stand to lose a whole lot more. If I were a better man, I never would have approached you for this, but I’m not that man and if we pull this off… think of what you’re gaining. A sense of purpose. An admission to The Eye. Something not even your great-great-grandfather, John Cutter, could boast of. And best of all? The rush. I bet you can’t look me in the eyes and tell me you haven’t missed it. That feeling you get of seeing something you designed work perfectly to fool an audience. Magic is in your bones, Miss Lewis. The Eye wouldn’t have chosen you otherwise. So tell me, Miss  _ Cutter _ . What are you going to do? Spend the rest of your life interning in a field you have little interest in and denying your talent and skill the outlet I’m betting you desperately crave? Or will you finally live up to your potential?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!! Has anyone got any ideas who Darcy's father is? I'll be dropping a really big hint next chapter! 
> 
> Don't forget to hit up that kudos button if you haven't already! Or if you have... feel free to leave a comment. I'm telling you they just make my day. I love hearing from you guys!


	4. A Deliberate Drowning Of Conciousness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All!! First and foremost many thanks to my spectacular beta ChrissiHR who always manages to make my work SOOO much better!! Now if I can only get some of her advice to actually stick. Bad writing habits are *really* hard to break. She just posted a new chapter of her fic "The Girl with the Dagger Tattoo." so the best way I know how to thank her is to send all you lovely readers over there to shower her with affection. She lives too far away to send cookies. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the latest installment!

“I’ll do it.”

 

Darcy had no idea what made her say it. To be fair, Agent Rhodes managed to be quite convincing, but Darcy was never one to leap without looking first. Even after the events in New Mexico, Darcy weighed all the options, listed all the pros and cons. Yet, here she was, jumping in headfirst. 

 

Closing her eyes, Darcy attempted to sort through the swirl of thoughts running rampant across her mind. She knew she didn’t have all the facts. She knew it as well as she knew her own abilities. Dylan Rhodes was holding something back, but being able to find out if The Eye was truly real remained a lure too great to ignore. All the bedtime stories told to her by her Grandfather about the elite society of magicians that used their magic to help people, the very society that the Robin Hood myth was founded on — that was worth a leap of faith in her book. 

 

A slight cough brought her out of her head. Looking across the small outdoor cafe table, she took another long hard look at Dylan Rhodes. “Give me your hand.” At his look of confusion, she smiled slightly to herself. Dylan was about to find he wasn’t the only one holding an ace up his sleeve. Who said leaps of faith couldn’t be based off of cold hard facts?

 

“Why?” Dylan asked.

 

“I need a baseline reading; that’s why. Now gimme,” Darcy replied and instead of waiting reached over and grabbed it for herself. “Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome,” came Dylan’s wry retort. “A baseline for what? And why do you need to be touching me for it? I don’t need to see an audition, if that’s what this is.”

 

Reaching for the tarot card laying on the table between them, Darcy absentmindedly began moving it through the fingers of her free hand, the movements picking up pace as she began quietly talking to Dylan. “This isn’t an audition, Agent Rhodes. I may have already agreed, but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna question a few things. You really should be looking at the card and not at me, by the way.”  

 

As Dylan glanced at the card she continued, “Watch the card as you listen to the sultry sound of my voice. Lose yourself in the motion and color. Slowly let yourself sink into oblivion. Now, I’m going to ask a few questions and you are going to answer them to the best of your knowledge. Keep your answers as succinct as possible, please. We’ll start with something easy. Something you’ve already told me. What’s your name?”

 

“Dylan Rhodes.” 

 

Reading the energy map of a person’s mind was something Darcy had worked hard to achieve. It took concentration and skin to skin contact, but she could do it. When she hit puberty and inherited her father’s “gift” with energy, she ran herself ragged to distance herself from her father’s excessively flashy use of his own “gift”. Not that she couldn’t be flashy herself. Anything her father could do, Darcy could do it better, if only so she could gloat whenever she saw him. But the energy map Darcy could feel —t hat was all her. It was a fairly useful thing to have, if Darcy was honest. Her very own lie detector. And right now — Dylan Rhodes was lying.

 

Keeping her voice light and soothing she said, “Tut. Tut. Tut. Try that one again and try using the truth. What’s your name?” 

 

“Dylan Shrike.” Truth, this time, came tumbling out of Dylan’s mouth.

 

“Good job. You’re doing wonderful. Is The Eye real?”

 

“Yes.” Truth. 

 

Dylan’s eyes remained glued to the card moving in her hand, but Darcy felt him trying to break free of the compulsion to answer. Hoping to get the big question answered before she lost her hold on him, she asked, “What are you hiding concerning your plan?” 

 

“Tha...Thad…”

 

Darcy felt the moment Dylan managed to wrench his gaze from the card. Letting go of his hand, she stilled the movements of the card and proceeded to bang her head lightly on the table. “So close. Sooo close. Should have used a coin. They always work better. Why do the coins always work better?” Looking up at Dylan, she repeated, “Why do the coins always work better?” as if he had any answers for her.

 

“I don’t know but…” Dylan shook his head to clear what little fog lingered. “That should  _ not  _ have happened. I’ve purposely built up an immunity to hypnotism.” His look became measuring. “What are you?”

 

“Would you be willing to believe a licensed hypnotist who’s abusing her training? No? Didn’t think so.” Taking a deep breath, Darcy let it out slowly. “Well, you see, the thing is, Agent Rhodes, I’d bet even money that file The Eye sent you was lacking several important details.” 

 

Pulling her bag up from the floor where it had sat as they talked, Darcy fished through it until she could grab her taser. “You know, facts about my father’s side of the family.” 

 

Sparking it, she manipulated the electrical energy emanating from the device into her free hand. “Facts like where I went to high school.” 

 

As she talked she spun the energy into a circuit that ran from finger to finger until lightning crackled in her hand. “A certain school for gifted youngsters. Worst four years of my life, but they did teach me a trick or two.” 

 

Closing her hand into a fist, Darcy gently dispersed the gathered energy into the air. A little more wouldn’t hurt the storm gathering overhead.  

 

There was a reason Thor decreed her his lightning sister. 

 

Bracing herself for the recriminations she knew were coming even with the new tolerance laws in effect, fear was a hard thing to overcome, but, Dylan surprised her. “You’re a mutant,” he stated. “What all can you do? And will any of it be useful?”

 

Darcy wasn’t sure how she felt about using her mutant abilities to steal. It wasn’t as if she had any issues with becoming a thief. Well, not any moral objections, anyway. It sounded as if this Tressler deserved it, _ if _ Rhodes was to be believed. It was the bit about using her abilities to do it that caused her pause. Even if if was in the name of helping others, it walked a little too close to following in her father’s footsteps. Something she avoided at all costs. Darcy was self aware enough to realize she had daddy issues a mile wide. Issues she was working on….mostly at Jane and Thor’s extremely loud insistence. Maybe it was time to embrace her father’s legacy. After all, it did constitute a constructive use of her abilities. A use that  _ didn’t _ involve joining either of the spandex wearing hordes she associated with on a regular basis, both of which her father had a tendency to harp about in her presence. Darcy found it amusing how much he did _ not  _ want her joining the Avengers.  

 

It might be nice to have something to say to him beyond sarcastic barbs and snide remarks. If nothing else, it would throw him for a loop. That alone would be reason enough to follow through with her initial impulse to agreement.  

 

Knowing Dylan was patiently waiting for an answer, Darcy turned her focus outward. “Quite a bit. As for usefulness … we’ll have to see. Practical applications outside of self defense aren’t really taught at my old school. It was always more about learning control and staying under the radar than anything else. Anything to do with practical usage was left to the individual student, mostly, I think, because the ability differs with each person.” Darcy shrugged. “I didn’t really want these abilities in the first place so I didn’t look much further than practicing the whole mind mapping thing.”

 

“Mind mapping?”

 

“Yeah, I’m totally a human lie detector.”

 

“Hence, the baseline reading.” Dylan said, a look of understanding crossing his features for a split second.

 

“Yep. I have a slight hypnotic charm, not as good as my father’s, but still occasionally useful when attempting interrogations. I can also manipulate energy.”

 

“I see. Giving you the handheld lightning. How would you feel about taking the stage? That alone would be a hell of a crowd pleaser. ”

 

“Not gonna happen,” Darcy replied with a slight grin. “I _ am _ going to require some level of anonymity in all this. No one outside The Eye can know about my involvement. I’m too close to too many important people to risk dragging their good names down in the muck.”

 

“Wait a second.  You don’t just work in the Avenger’s tower do you? You actually _ know _ them?” Dylan asked incredulously. 

 

“Second thoughts about taking me on, Agent Rhodes?”

 

“No, but I am starting to wonder just what The Eye was thinking,” Dylan muttered. “And it’s Dylan. Can we dispense with the ‘Agent’ already? It seems a little formal for partners in soon-to-be crime.”

 

“Why, Agent Rhodes. How forward of you.” Darcy fluttered her eyelashes at him. “As for what The Eye was thinking... Who the hell knows?  What I do know is that it’s going to be hard hiding any ‘extra-curricular’ activities from, not one, but _ two _ spies. I’m going to need some sort of believable cover.” 

 

Tapping her chin in contemplation Darcy thought a moment. “I’ve got it! You look enough like Dr. Banner, this might just work.”

 

Dylan was slightly concerned when Darcy continued, “We’re going to have to date. I’ve spent the last year or so flirting with the good doctor. He’s so cute when he blushes. On an unrelated note … what does it take to get you to blush?” 

 

Waving her hand in dismissal, she plowed on in her speech. “Anyway, it was just harmless flirting aimed to lighten him up. I know his heart belongs to someone else, so it was done in the name of good fun, but a few pics of the two of us and a few well placed untruths should sway everyone into thinking the flirting meant something more. It’ll mean less questions about spending more of my free time away from the tower.”

 

Her next statement had Dylan sputtering a bit. “It also means you’re going to be getting a shovel talk from a host of superheroes. Just don’t piss off Nat. She’s extremely creative with her, well, not threats. That would mean she doesn’t follow through. I’ll have to be the one doing the breaking up when the time comes. Otherwise, you might end up dead. Also, be wary of Pepper. She’s as dangerous as Nat, just in a different way.  _ She _ will make you  _ wish _ you were dead. Don’t get me started on Janie. You know what?  I’ll run interference on those three. I think you’ll be able to handle the rest, so long as you don’t have to deal with them. We can use your job as an FBI agent as the reason we eventually break up. Too many out of town cases. That should be enough to pacify them.” 

 

“Do I get any say in this?”

  
Darcy laughed at that. “No. I’m the one who has to evade inquiries from the Spysassin Twins. Besides, this really is the best way to stay under the radar with these two. Give them something believable to find and they won’t look any further. Now, I  _ really _ need to get going. Janie is probably going to have a conniption when she realizes I’ve been gone this long and I still have to pick up the fruit tart. Gimme your phone number and I’ll text you so we can meet up later this week. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anyone figured out who Darcy's dad is yet? This chapter was one giant hint! Leave a comment telling me what you think!   
> Feedback is always appreciated!


	5. Smoke and Mirrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to @ChrissiHr for Betaing the disaster that is my writing and to @MichelleLynne for prereading. Their support has been absolutely invaluable!! Seriously you should check out their work! Michelle has made the transfer from tumblr, let's all give her a warm welcome! *hugs for both of you*

Six weeks later, Dylan’s plans for Tressler,while finally solidifying into something concrete with Darcy’s help, were still far from complete. Darcy worked to finish up the blueprints needed to give the Horsemen, a time-consuming task in and of itself. They both continued to work on a delivery system intriguing enough to catch the Horsemen’s attention when the time came.  For his part, he walked through each step of the plan repeatedly, searching for any possible mistake. He wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. He lost track of how many times Darcy accused him of paranoia. 

 

He really should be concerned about the fact they fought like an old married couple. 

 

On top of it all, Darcy ran him through practicing his pickpocketing skills. It wouldn’t do for the Horsemen to catch him in the act of slipping them their cards —s omething else they were working on. Darcy got it into her head there needed to be a big reveal to the Horsemen, and Dylan, rather than continuing to fight over it being a waste of time, acquiesced to her idea of making the cards part of the final reveal. 

 

His day started normally — the usual morning routine, followed by a quick stop at a coffee shop. Darcy’s coffee habits started rubbing off on him. The goal for the day was to get the apartment they rented finished for the Horseman’s homebase. They spent a long weekend setting the 4H design into the floor. All that remained was fixing the wiring for the holographic display Darcy built. He really hoped Stark never found out she reversed engineered and tweaked some of the tech available in Jane’s lab. 

 

The hook for Darcy’s cover also needed setting, six weeks spent hinting at a relationship to her friends finally coming to a head. He lost track of the number of times Darcy dragged him somewhere in name of a few selfies, both for her phone and his. Almost all the photos on his phone pictured the two of them. He needed to scrub the phone before the Horsemen got their hands on it.; one more task for his mental to-do-list. He also needed to send a fruit basket to whoever made her sign so many NDA’s when Thor first landed, the subsequent redaction of Darcy’s social media accounts remained a blessing to be fervently grateful for-- the texts she sent him at all hours were bad enough without bringing social media into play, it would only create more work for the two of them in the long run. 

 

Dylan wanted this part over and done with; the sooner they freed up Darcy’s time, the better, which is how he found himself outside Avenger’s Tower, ostensibly waiting for Darcy to get out of work. In reality, he stood waiting to see which of the superheroes took the bait first. Since they wouldn’t come to him, he went to them.  

 

When Darcy announced earlier that she was leaving work early and missing Team Game Night, it roused Tony’s suspicions enough to have Jarvis scan the block surrounding the tower. The mysterious boyfriend Darcy not so carefully hid from the team had to be behind this unusual behavior. Darcy never missed Team Game Night. She instigated the damn things. Now, this interloper was dragging Tony’s assistant--he signed the checks, she was his, no matter what Foster said-- away from, well, from him. 

 

“God, I hope LeBeau doesn’t find out.” Tony had no interest in testing his suit against Wolverine’s claws. When LeBeau first introduced himself as Darcy’s father, he didn’t bother threatening Tony. Instead he let the lug calling himself Darcy’s uncle do it for him. For some reason Howlett took an instant dislike to Tony; now every time the Xmen and Avengers collaborated to bring down the bad guy flavor of the week, Howlett would flash his claws menacingly in his direction. 

 

It wouldn’t kill Darcy to let him vet her new boyfriend. He thought they were friends. Friends don't let friends get killed by overprotective uncles. Not when it’s easily preventable. All he had to do was find the guy and let Nat instill the fear of god into him. No potentially messy breakup, no broken heart to clean up, no dead Tony for letting Darcy get hurt. 

 

“Jarvis any luck?” Tony asked.

 

“I have three potential candidates, sir. One of which may interest you immensely. Shall I bring up the video?”

 

“Sure thing, Jarvis. Let’s see what you found.” Tony set down the wiring he’d been fiddling with and turned to the monitor. “Well, well, well, Lewis. No wonder you’ve been so cagey. Jarvis, send this to Nat and prepare my suit. I think it’s time the gang met Darcy’s new beau.” 

 

Heading to the elevator, he waved through the glass to Darcy and Jane, the pair arguing in Jane’s lab next to a smoking piece of machinery. “Jarvis keep an eye on that. Pepper will have my head if there’s another explosion this month.”

 

“Of course, sir.”

 

Humming to himself, he waited for the elevator to take him to the penthouse and attached landing pad. Time to make a Tony Stark-worthy entrance.   

 

As Tony made for the elevator situated between the three labs, Darcy kept one eye on him and one on the smoking machine next to Jane. No matter how much Jane loved her cobbled together equipment, at least the stuff Tony provided didn’t break down with such regularity. “Janie, see, this is what happens when you Science without sleep. Stuff breaks. See exhibit A. Now, do I have to have call Thor to haul your ass out of here so you can get some sleep? Or maybe you’d prefer it if I drugged your coffee. Again. We agreed, no more six day science benders. You’re on day four and you’re breaking shit.” 

 

“ _ That-- _ ,” Jane pointed at the broken and smoking remains next to her. “--is not my fault.”

 

“Yeah, it kinda is. You need to go get at least a few hours of rest before game night. Nobody likes Thor’s sad puppy eyes when you miss game night. So chop, chop.  Close out whatever you need to and get going.”

 

Stubbornly refusing to budge, Jane countered,”Why do _ I _ need to go?  _ You’re _ not.”

 

“I have plans. Plans that do not involve drunk superheroes and scientists, and your refusal to go to sleep is making me late!” 

 

“I’ll make you a deal. Who is he? I want a name and then I’ll go without a fuss,” Jane bargained. 

 

Darcy smiled. Too easy. “You manipulative little wench. You planned this didn’t you?” Darcy said, laughing at Jane’s sleep deprived attempt at a sly face. “Fine, it’s been a secret long enough, I guess. Dylan. There. Now,  _ please _ start shutting everything down. I need to text him real quick, he’s probably getting impatient. Then, I’ll start cleaning up the debris from your...whatever it was.” 

 

Pulling out her phone, Darcy shot off a quick text to Dylan: “ _ FeMan incoming. Bonne Chance. _ ”, before starting to clean up the mess Jane had made. 

 

“Showtime,” Dylan thought as he read Darcy’s text. Good luck indeed. He gave the man points for style, even if it was a bit over the top. Really, way, way over the top. He struggled to reign in the impulse to sneer at the man floating in front of him as the faceplate of the suit slid up. 

 

“You must be our little Darcy’s new paramour,” Tony stated as he eyed the man who looked a lot like Bruce. That impassive stare needed to go. “So, secondhand Bruce, what’s your name?”

 

“Dylan Rhodes. Darcy neglected to mention the tin can reception when she asked me to meet her here. Tell me something. Do you attempt to intimidate all of her significant others? Or am I just special?”

 

“If by special, you mean replacement. Cause I have to say, you look a remarkable amount like one Bruce Banner, the Hulk, Ragey Green Giant. Ringing any bells?  I mean, if that’s cool with you, who am I to judge? Besides, this? This isn’t meant to be intimidating. This is a meet and greet. A getting to know each other session. The intimidation comes later. Say seven p.m. tonight? Yeah, seven works. Come prepared to give blood.” With that, Tony swept back up into the sky, mussing Dylan’s hair in the process. 

  
Pulling out his phone, he texted Darcy:  **We have plans at seven. I hope you know what you’re doing.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! and if you guessed Remy is Darcy's dad... go you for being right!!! As always feedback is always appreciated!


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